updating to be consistent with notes

.github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/spike-template.md

@@ -1,17 +1,9 @@
 ---
 name: Spike Template
 about: A template to use for Spikes
-title: ''
+title: ""
 labels: spike
-assignees: ''
-
+assignees: ""
 ---
 
-## Estimation of work
-- TBD
-
-## Acceptance criteria
-- [ ] foo
-- [ ] bar
-- [ ] etc
-- [ ] etc
+_By definition, this `spike` is not related to any specific User Story._

.github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/task-template.md

@@ -1,10 +1,11 @@
 ---
 name: Task Template
 about: A template to use for Tasks
-title: ''
+title: ""
 labels: task
-assignees: ''
-
+assignees: ""
 ---
 
 Related to User Story #?
+
+_By definition, this `task` represents one unit of work that is part of the implementation of a single user story._

.github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/user-story-template.md

@@ -1,16 +1,17 @@
 ---
 name: User Story Template
 about: A template to use for User Stories
-title: ''
+title: ""
 labels: user story
-assignees: ''
-
+assignees: ""
 ---
 
-## Estimation of work
+## Estimation of effort (optional)
+
 - TBD
 
-## Acceptance criteria
+## Acceptance criteria (optional)
+
 - [ ] foo
 - [ ] bar
 - [ ] baz

instructions-0d-sprint-planning.md

@@ -6,43 +6,40 @@ Scrum follows a specific process by which teams plan the work that will be done
 
 Each team will hold a [Sprint Planning session](https://knowledge.kitchen/content/courses/agile-development-and-devops/slides/scrum/#71) to decide which User Stories from the Product Backlog to include in the Sprint Backlog for the upcoming sprint. The team must follow the established procedure for holding sprint planning sessions.
 
-View a [video overview of creating the Sprint Backlog in GitHub](https://youtu.be/-MBEnpAgmug).
-
 ### Elaborating the User Stories
 
 Each User Story added to the Sprint Backlog must...
 
-- include [Acceptance Criteria](https://knowledge.kitchen/content/courses/agile-development-and-devops/slides/scrum/#61) included in it [as a checklist](GitHub_for_team_collaboration#Creating_a_new_issue)
+- follow the basic requirements for User Stories
 - be assigned the `Sprint N` Milestone, where `N` is the number of the current sprint, in GitHub's Issue tracker
-- include an Estimation of Effort, which teams calculate following the Planning Poker effort estimation processes
 
-User Stories in the Sprint Backlog must also follow the basic requirements for User Stories
+User stories may optionally also...
+
+- include [Acceptance Criteria](https://knowledge.kitchen/content/courses/agile-development-and-devops/slides/scrum/#61) included in it [as a checklist](GitHub_for_team_collaboration#Creating_a_new_issue)
+- include an Estimation of Effort, which teams calculate following the Planning Poker effort estimation processes
 
 ### Breaking User Stories into Tasks
 
 Once the team has selected User Stories to include in the Sprint Backlog, the team must then create the individual Tasks and Spikes that are necessary to implement each the User Story.
 
-Tasks are the smallest unit of work, and should typically be doable by one person in one day. In a class setting, we will define Tasks as completable by one person between one Standup meeting and the next Standup meeting.
-
-Tasks are those things that must be done to complete the implementation of the User Story
+A Task is the smallest unit of work. Together, the Tasks related to a single User Story are those things that must be done to complete the implementation of that User Story.
 
-- these include tasks for each of the things that are necessary according to your team's definition of done
+Tasks should typically be doable by, at most, one person in one day. But in a class setting, we will define Tasks as completable by at most one person between one Standup meeting and the next.
 
 Each task must...
 
 - be made its own Issue in GitHub's Issue tracker
-- be assigned the 'Sprint N' milestone, where N is the number of the current sprint.
-- be labeled with the 'task' label to differentiate it within GitHub's Issue tracker from 'user story' Issues
-- include in its initial description the Issue number of the User Story from which it was derived
-- include the number sign, e.g. "This task is part of User Story #4"
-
-View a [video overview of creating the Sprint Backlog in GitHub](https://youtu.be/-MBEnpAgmug), which includes how to break up User Stories into Tasks.
+- be assigned the '`Sprint N`' milestone, where `N` is the number of the current sprint.
+- be labeled with the '`task`' label to differentiate it within GitHub's Issue tracker from '`user story`' Issues
+- include in its initial description the Issue number of the User Story from which it was derived, e.g. `Related to user story #22`
 
 ### Spiking the backlog
 
-This initial product backlog must include 'spikes' for investigating which technologies to use for the project as well as setting up each team member's local development environment.
+This initial product backlog must include '`spikes`' for investigating which technologies to use for the project as well as setting up each team member's local development environment. Spikes follow the same guidelines as Spikes, except that they are not directly related to any one user story, but rather represent general work that must be done irrespective of any given user story.
+
+- These spikes are highest priority and must be completed as soon as possible during the Sprint.
 
-- These spikes are highest priority and must be completed as soon as possible during the Sprint - Spikes must be given the 'spike' label and the 'Sprint N' milestone, where N is the number of the current sprint, in GitHub's issue tracker
+Spikes must be given the '`spike`' label and the '`Sprint N`' milestone, where `N` is the number of the current sprint, in GitHub's issue tracker
 
 ### Planning poker cards
 
@@ -57,15 +54,9 @@ If a team chooses to go with the Planning Poker estimation method, the team must
 
 ### Setting up the task board
 
-Each team will maintain a shared Task Board for each Sprint [using
-GitHub's Project Board functionality in the recommended
-fashion](https://knowledge.kitchen/content/courses/agile-development-and-devops/scrum/github-task-boards/). These
-boards are available under the 'Projects' tab in GitHub - you will
-have to set up the Sprint task board in recommended fashion.
+Each team will maintain a shared Task Board for each Sprint [using GitHub's Project Board functionality in the recommended fashion](https://knowledge.kitchen/content/courses/agile-development-and-devops/scrum/github-project-management). These boards are available under the '`Projects`' tab in GitHub - you will have to set up the Sprint task board in recommended fashion.
 
-- Add all User Stories to be addressed during the Sprint into the
-  "Sprint Backlog (User Stories)" column - Add all Tasks for each User
-  Story into the "To Do (Tasks)" column
+- Add all User Stories to be addressed during the Sprint into a "`Sprint N - Backlog`" table view.
+- Add all Tasks and Spikes for each User Story into the "`To Do`" column of a `Sprint N - Task Board` board view.
 
-Once you start working on tasks, you will move them to the other columns
-depending on their current status.
+Once you start working on tasks, you will move them to the other columns depending on their current status.